Matches to Make After Bellator 284

Bellator 284 on Friday in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was headlined by Goiti Yamauchi and Neiman Gracie—two world-class grapplers who have developed effective, dangerous striking. While Gracie had lost two of his last three bouts, they were close decisions against two of the very best welterweights in the world: Bellator MMA interim champion Logan Storley and top contender Jason Jackson. Yamauchi moved up to welterweight with a gorgeous first-round armbar of Levan Chokheli in April, but the more established Gracie was a moderate favorite. However, Yamauchi displayed the far better striking and scored with a sensational uppercut to knock out Gracie in the second round, handing him the first stoppage loss of his career.

This card had plenty of depth. The co-main event featured former interim Bellator heavyweight champion Valentin Moldavsky, who had lost a close decision to champion Ryan Bader in his last outing. He faced highly skilled prospect Steve Mowry, whose record stood at a perfect 10-0. Alas, it ended inconclusively, as an errant Moldavsky eye poke caused Mowry to tell the doctor he could not continue; it was ruled a no contest. Just one fight lower, former Bellator women’s flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane looked to get back on track after losing her crown to Juiliana Velasquez and then suffering a shocking loss to Justine Kish. She came in three pounds heavy on the scales ahead of her clash with skilled striker Bruna Ellen, whose grappling had been improving in recent fights. Though the win was not spectacular, Macfarlane showed improved boxing and took a unanimous decision.

In the aftermath of Bellator 284, here are four matches that ought to be made:

Goiti Yamauchi vs. Michael Page: Page recently lost a split decision to Logan Storley for the interim title, but he remains a top welterweight contender, either for Storley or for Yaroslav Amosov when he returns to action. Since Bellator would likely prefer that Storley and Amosov rematch one another, this time with the undisputed Bellator welterweight throne on the line, a great top contender’s match would pit Page -against Yamauchi. Not only would it create a lot of excitement and be an interesting striker-versus-grappler match, but the winner would be a logical candidate for a title shot, along with the aforementioned Jackson. Let us hope that Page does not take too much damage when he faces Mike Perry in bareknuckle boxing later this month.

Neiman Gracie vs. Andrey Koreshkov: Koreshkov is a former champion and still a viable contender, having won four straight fights since a controversial split decision loss to Lorenz Larkin. Most recently, he annihilated Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Chance Recountre in 38 seconds with a highlight for the ages, connecting with a gorgeous spinning back kick. Koreshkov-Gracie would not only be an exciting match, but it would build the winner back into a serious contender, though he would likely need at least a couple more triumphs to challenge for the belt.

Valentin Moldavsky vs. Steve Mowry: This one is self-explanatory. The first fight was inconclusive, but hopefully the sequel will offer some resolution. There is precedent for a Bellator heavyweight rematch to exceed expectations when the initial one ended on a foul early in Round 1. Just consider Sergei Kharitonov’s two matches against Matt Mitrione, as the first was stopped after 15 seconds due to a stomach-churning Mitrione kick to the groin.

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane vs. Liz Carmouche: Velasquez just lost her crown to MacFarlane’s teammate—Carmouche—and there is now a notable lack of challengers. Carmouche had already beaten DeAnna Bennett, Kana Watanabe and Vanessa Porto on her run to the title. Kish, who defeated Macfarlane, dropped a one-sided decision to Bennett earlier this year, then came in heavy for their rematch and lost yet again. Denise Kielholtz, meanwhile, was choked out by Watanabe. Yes, Macfarlane and Carmouche are teammates—and “The Iliminator” also missed weight against Ellen—but Bellator’s longest-reigning flyweight champion taking on the current titleholder is the most obvious matchup at 125 pounds.